1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a structure to connect a refrigerant pipe and an air conditioner having the same, and more particularly, to an improved structure for a refrigerant pipe connecting an indoor unit and an outdoor unit that form an air conditioner, and an air conditioner having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An air conditioner is an appliance that absorbs heat from ambient air by evaporating refrigerant at room temperature and discharging the absorbed heat to another system. The air conditioner includes an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and a capillary tube. The evaporator cools the ambient air by evaporating the refrigerant. The compressor compresses the refrigerant gas passing through the evaporator with high temperature and high pressure. The condenser condenses the refrigerant gas, which has been compressed by the compressor, into liquid refrigerant with room temperature. The capillary tube decreases the pressure of the liquid refrigerant having high pressure.
Air conditioners are divided into separation type air conditioners and integral type air conditioners. The separation type air conditioner includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit is installed indoors, and draws indoor air into the unit to allow the drawn air to exchange heat with refrigerant, and discharges the heat-exchanged air to the indoors. The outdoor unit allows refrigerant introduced from the indoor unit to exchange heat with outdoor air such that the refrigerant is in a state available for heat exchange with indoor air, and then provides the refrigerant to the indoor unit. The indoor unit and the outdoor unit are connected to each other by a refrigerant pipe through which refrigerant flows.
There is a need for a structure to connect a refrigerant pipe that is easily connected, while preventing refrigerant from leaking when the refrigerant pipe is connected to an indoor unit or an outdoor unit, or when the refrigerant pipe is connected to another refrigerant pipe to form an extended refrigerant pipe.